Linkages Technical Support Unit

LINKAGES Annual Global meeting, March 2017

Linkages Across the Continuum of HIV Services for Key Populations Affected by HIV (LINKAGES)

The University of Manitoba provides direct county technical assistance for Key Populations programming to the USAID- funded LINKAGES program since 2015. Staring with 6 counties at the time, including Kenya, Malawi, Haiti, Cote d’Ivoire, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2016, an additional 5 countries comprising Jamaica, Eastern Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Barbados and Port au Prince were included.

The specific project results areas and activities are:

Result Area 1: Increased availability of comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment services, including reliable coverage across the continuum of care for key populations.

On site supervision and mentorship.

Support for establishment of Drop in Centers.

Develop and operationalize SOPs for quality service delivery and scale up.

Support expanded service provision through outreach.

Provide hands-on training to improve the quality of the clinical services provided during mobile and outreach activities.

Support the establishment of referral services to ensure KPs get complete cascade of care in the counties.

Support field level data collection and reporting mechanisms.

Result Area 2: Demand for comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment services, among key populations enhanced and sustained.

Provide support for scaling up the peer-led community outreach and mobilization systems.

Support ongoing learning or model sites support by LINKAGES Kenya.

Support establishment of learning sites in Mombasa, Nairobi and Kisumu.

Result Area 3: Strengthened systems for planning, monitoring, evaluating and assuring the quality of programs for Key Populations.

Support organization to develop strong crisis management systems.

Training of project staff and the community on human rights.

Establishment of a crisis hotline that key populations can call and seek support from at the time of crisis/violence.

Provision of legal support at the time of arrest; and mobilizing the community to get together and protest against crises and violence.

Monitor violence reporting every quarter.

Support NASCOP to conduct regular key populations technical working group meetings.

Key achievements to date:

Supported NASCOP to organize 3 national Key Populations Technical Working Group Meetings

Supported establishment of functional County KP TWGs in 15 Counties

Developed standard operating procedures for KP Clinics

Develop KP treatment guidelines

Develop standard operating procedures for drop in centers

Developed and/ or revised:

MSM peer education training manual

FSW peer education training manual

Clinician training manual

Clinician training manual on SGBV

Trained

25 health service providers from 10 implementing counties in gender based violence response and prevention.